In the end, the deal to a avert a government shutdown and keep funding going for the rest of the fiscal year amounted to a $38.5 billion cut in appropriations from the 2010 baseline (although WaPo puts it at $37.8 billion, the joint Boehner/Reid announcement used the $38.5 billion number, so that’s what I’m going with). There was a time last December, with the McCaskill-Sessions compromise, promoted by the very conservative Republican ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee, when Republicans agreed to a 2011 budget appropriation $20 billion ABOVE the 2010 baseline. If mixed in with the tax cut deal, that level could have been put in place. Therefore, this deal inked late last night cut $58.5 billion from the level of McCaskill-Sessions. This equals all of the tax advantages that didn’t extend current law, outside of the business expensing provisions, in the December 2010 tax cut deal. The entire stimulus is gone.

Incidentally, John Boehner made an additional point – because the cuts to agency appropriations end up setting a new baseline and magnifying over time, the total impact of cuts in this bill is $500 billion over the next decade.

This comes at a time of 8.8% unemployment, when many economists believe additional fiscal stimulus is needed to prop up a nascent and still-fragile recovery. But Washington has gone into austerity mode. You had a Democratic President last night touting the “largest annual spending cut in our history,” as if that were something of which to be proud. Yet it’s undeniable that this cut sets the country backwards and puts it on bad footing for the additional bigger spending fights ahead. To quote Brian Beutler: “That the focal point of policy on Capitol Hill is on what should be cut — and not when to cut, or whether cutting is even wise — illustrates just how brief the progressive moment lasted after Obama’s election in 2008. It also represents a colossal failure of government.”

Indeed, the boasting about “historic” cuts coming from Democrats, after months of rhetoric where they said these same cuts would eliminate jobs and hurt the economy, was tough to take. I don’t have Mark Zandi’s home phone number, but he said previously that cuts of $61 billion would cost the country 700,000 jobs, based not really on where the cuts went but simple macroeconomic projections. So this $38.5 billion cut will cost what? 400,000 jobs? 500,000? From a self-preservation angle, this is lunacy:

Right now, the economy is weak. Giving into austerity will weaken it further, or at least delay recovery for longer. And if Obama does not get a recovery, then he will not be a successful president, no matter how hard he works to claim Boehner’s successes as his own. Clinton’s speeches were persuasive because the labor market did a lot of his talking for him. But when unemployment is stuck at eight percent, there’s no such thing as a great communicator.

So now that a six-day stopgap has passed, with the final deal to pass next week, we ask ourselves, what’s in it? Where do the cuts come from? What part of the budget? What programs? And what policy riders are in there?

Let’s go with what we know:

• From the Los Angeles Times: “The stopgap measure would fund government operations through Thursday, using $2.5 billion in unused transportation funds. Those cuts would be counted toward the overall reductions.” OK, so what does “unused transportation funds” mean? Initially, I was told that $1.5 billion of this comes out of high speed rail, perhaps the unused funds that Florida sent back to Washington. But I have not been able to confirm that. At any rate, when President Obama said in his speech that “infrastructure projects will be delayed,” this is part of what he means. That’s $2.5 billion on the sidelines that could have gone into transportation infrastructure and construction, i.e. jobs.

• Also from the LA Times: “Democrats pursued reductions from one-time cuts and accounts with surpluses. In the end, about half the cuts, nearly $18 billion, come from such areas.” This matters for the future, because agency appropriations end up becoming the new baseline, so the cuts magnify over time.

• From the WSJ: “Includes $513 billion for defense – less than Republicans and President Obama wanted but more than the $508 billion provided in 2010.” So defense actually gets a $5 billion increase above the 2010 baseline. This is equal to what was in McCaskill-Sessions in December. Defense didn’t get touched.

• WSJ: “Bans the use of funds for the transfer of prisoners from the Guantanamo Bay detention center in Cuba to the U.S. mainland.” Not that this was in doubt, but this rider continues for the rest of the fiscal year. This is already a Lost Cause, as KSM will get a military commission, and Guantanamo will remain open.

• From TPM: “Republicans have also been promised votes in the Senate on riders to defund Planned Parenthood and health care implementation.” Those votes will fail, and everyone – including Republicans – know it. So that’s not a big deal. In fact, Democrats will be happy to put some Republicans on the record on defunding the quite popular Planned Parenthood.

• From the Christian Science Monitor: “Anti-abortion lawmakers did succeed in winning a provision to ban the use of government funds to pay for abortions in the Washington capital district.” This is a radical step. The District of Columbia will not be able to use even its own tax dollars collected from its constituents to pay for any reproductive choice services. When this says “government funds,” we’re not only talking about federal government funds, we’re talking about DC’s local government funds. Annals of colonialism!

• But that’s not all! From WaPo: “The spending deal agreed to Friday night to avert a government shutdown includes a provision banning the District from spending its own funds to provide abortions to low-income women as well as funding to continue a controversial school voucher program.” Yes, the ridiculous DC voucher program, which Boehner made a personal crusade, got put in at the last minute. These both were Republican programs that Democrats cancelled; now they’re back. And the voucher program will get funding for five years.

• From the Wall Street Journal: “Also in the deal is a provision requiring an annual audit of the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which had been created by last year’s Dodd-Frank financial overhaul law.” Apparently, the GAO and a private company will conduct this annual audit. This might mean a day of spin every year or it might be used as a weapon to undermine CFPB.

What we don’t know is precisely where the rest of the budget cuts will fall, or what other riders will be found in this agreement. We’ll get that information soon.

Note that there’s nothing in here about one looming item: the debt limit. America reaches that sometime in May. That’s next month’s big fight. It’s not logical to hope for a better outcome.

• From TPM: “Republicans have also been promised votes in the Senate on riders to defund Planned Parenthood and health care implementation.” Those votes will fail, and everyone – including Republicans – know it. So that’s not a big deal. In fact, Democrats will be happy to put some Republicans on the record on defunding the quite popular Planned Parenthood.

I am not so sure that the votes will fail.

It would appear that the house had enough votes to include it in their version of the CR. What changes that make it unlikely for the stand alone bill?

Second, the Senate has a number of red-state democratic senators up in 2012. How many of those are suspect when it comes to support of PP?

I am afraid that our guys got snookered on this and it will turn around to bite us.

This is worse than I thought it would be. Dems caved on nearly everything. Look for riders or amendments in the debt ceiling vote that take funding from Planned Parenthood, the EPA, and the CFPB. Also, they didn’t really attack Obamacare funding here, so that’s still to come.

The Democrats could have countered with HUMANE ways to reduce the deficit. One example: save $$$ billions by having the government negotiate lower drug prices for Medicare and Medicaid. But of course that would interfere with whoring for pharma campaign $$$.

When it comes to a choice between ordinary people and their campaign contributors, the Dems will choose the latter. Every time.

This was all worked out a long time ago (note the date). What happened during the interim was scripted political theater.

06/22/10In the scheduled address to the progressive think tank The Third Way, Hoyer will acknowledge that the lower chamber will do things differently this election year.

“It isn’t possible to debate and pass a realistic, long-term budget until we’ve considered the bipartisan commission’s deficit-reduction plan, which is expected in December,”

The House will put forth a “budget enforcement resolution” rather than a budget blueprint that looks beyond next year and calculates five or 10 years’ worth of deficit figures.

The House’s “enforcement” — or deeming — resolution will endorse the goals of the president’s fiscal commission and reiterate the commitment to vote on its recommendations after the midterm elections. And it will also set limits on discretionary spending “that require further cuts below the president’s budget,” according to the speech.

“This budget enforcement resolution will enforce fiscal discipline in the near term while the fiscal commission works on a long-term plan to get our country back to fiscal health,” Hoyer’s remarks state.

“A spending-only [deficit reduction] plan has been on the table for more than two years,” Hoyer will say, citing House Budget Committee ranking Republican Paul Ryan’s (Wis.) proposal to shift some seniors away from Medicare and issue private health insurance vouchers for everyone under 55. “Even though I strongly oppose its severe Medicare cuts for seniors, I’ve praised Congressman Ryan for being the only one in his party to offer a solution equal to the problem. But what have we heard from his own party? Crickets. For two years. The Republican Party has run away from Paul Ryan’s plan, even though you’d expect it to rush to embrace a proposal based on spending cuts.”

The term was used by politicians in the 1990s who wished to incorporate Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan’s projects of economic deregulation, privatization, and globalization into the mainstream centre-left political parties.

“Domestically, you don’t have the source of factors to create inflation,” said Richard Cookson, chief investment officer at Citi Private Bank. “ … You have a situation where unemployment or underemployment is extremely high. You don’t have the ability for employees to gouge more from their employers.”

I’m not sure about the EPA — would be happy to see some analysis here of what is going on. The Democrats offered up some studies for EPA programs so sounds to me as though they simply put the EPA on life-support. They can pull the plug whenever.

this entire fiasco seems orchestrated by the big zero, first he didn’t get a budget when the democrats had charge and then he continued the bush redistribution of our assets marketed as a “tax reduction extension”

he created teh problem and then complaigned about the problem he created

Trump “said” that he is against anything that touches a hair on old and sick people. He’s playing all sides…just like Barry does..however, we may find that Barry is actually unable to produce enough “proof” of birth in Hawaii, since even the Gov couldn’t find anything at all other than the certificate of live birth. Trump is no dummy in some areas.

The GOP objects to the EPA (openly) because it restricts businesses from polluting. This creates additional costs for business. Now that we know Democrats are also entirely on the side of business, just not as openly as the GOP, expect them to cave on GOP-proposed funding cuts to the EPA. Along the same lines as the hidden attack against the CFPB included in this bill.

Just like Reagan, Bush I, and Bush II. Clinton instituted some pretty awful policies as well–DOMA, DADT, NAFTA, welfare cuts. 30 years of destuctive policies… terribly sad legacy which may serve as a reminder of inhumanity. Seems people need those reminders periodically…

Don’t you be ridiculous. Of course not. I am saying that Trump has found a glitch that he can use…The Governor of Hawaii searched for hospital records and a “birth certificate”, and came up with nothing. No records..other than the one I mentioned above and the birth announcements. The “morons” will eat that up. Jeeez.

are all of you who sat out the 2010 elections happy now? You glad that you “punished” Obama by not voting?
I am seeing lots of comments saying how bad Obama is and how none of you will support democrats in 2012.What in the hell are all of you thinking?
Do you want the rethug/tea party to win in 2012? Do you really want a rethug house/senate/WH?
You want the Authoritarians to take over? Geebuses, you people are more fukin dumb than the fukin sheeple rethugs.
Oh yeah, and while I am thinking on it. I totally wasted my time in WI going door to door on the court election. 34 fucking % statewide voted. Jesus fucking christ, why did I bother to come up from Texas and spend my time and my retirement pay on so many useless fuks. Well, you all in WI made your bed by not getting out the vote. Now you will have to live with it. I will not be coming back to help in the recall elections. Going by the % of people who bothered to vote, those being recalled will win. So, are all you non voters still punishing Obama?
Come 2012 the rethugs are, going by you useless bitching idiots here,(and on other liberal sites) are going to lose massively in 2012. While the rethugs keep their base riled up, the puking democrats are doing what? Not a god damn thing.
So, sit on your hands in 2012 and “PUNISH” Obama by not voting, then watch as the US turns into the worst country in the world. As for me, if the 2012 election turns out like I think it will, my wife and I will be joining one of my kids in a country that values science and does not pander to thugs. US, a third world country with a corporate military. Run by Authoritarians.
Don’t get me wrong, I will fight like hell to get people to vote in 2012. And I will vol. to work for any dems that run against a rethug.
But if the dems lose the senate and the WH. I will also be gone, I am to damn old to be kowtowing to Authoritarian rethugs who will turn the US into something very like mississippi.

and anyway it DOES NOT MATTER! as long as 1 parent is a US citizen, the child is also. No matter where born.(my son was born in Indonesia, and my wife was not yet a citizen, nevertheless, my son holds a US passport, issued the day he was born)

Obama and the dems are trying to out right wing the republicans. And succeeding. It would be absolutely farcical if it werent so damn sad. Personally im a bit astonished that obama has the gall to run for reelection. He should acknowledge hes the worst president in the history of this country and bow out. And the dems should acknowledge how corrupt and useless theyve become and retire already.

My mother was born in the US. My two brothers and my father were born in Scandinavia. My brothers had to nationalize to become American citizens. It was not automatic. I was born here, so I had an automatic citizenship here. Sometimes it depends on what the American parent’s job is overseas, as in the case of McCain. That is how I understand it anyway.

In regards to the budget “compromise”, it shouldn’t be separated from the “cave” on the continuation of the upper end bush tax cuts. On the tax cut “compromise”, the republicans got damn near everything they wanted except for … supposedly … the continuation of unemployment benefits up to 99 weeks. Though obama postured that he got some tax cuts for the working man that the republicans didn’t want, for the most part that was bullshit … the republicans wanted those tax cuts too. He also got the chance to sell the tax cut deal to his pathetic base as a stimulus. Having democratic control of both the house and senate at the time, he didn’t drive a bargain for a budget resolution and left that exposed to a republican house and a strengthened republican hand in the senate … better to compromise with.

The current “cave in”, which really imo is exactly what the head pr man of the establishment always wanted, now cuts most if not all of that stimulus that he used to justify the bush tax cuts. But now due to the latest republican supposed demand, obama gets to posture that he protected women’s rights when he “compromised” to the republicans for more social spending cuts.

So, the pattern on both of these situations is this: the republicans threaten some action that really would be to their political detriment: cutting off unemployment benefits/closing down the government, but then obama bails their asses out and gives them the stuff that they really want (tax cuts for the rich/cutting social programs), which is exactly what obama wants as well, but it gives him the opportunity to portray himself to his demo-zombie base as saving unemployment benefits/women’s rights and keeping the government open.

The effects of these two actions are this: the rich got their tax cuts and the working class paid for it in the form of further decreasing the social safety net when the opposite is needed now more than ever.

None of this is a revelation or comes as a surprise to many people on this board though.

All this because Obama was too much of a chickenshit to let the Bush tax cuts for the rich expire. Why? Because thanks to Citizens United, it’s now impossible to win a presidential election without spending hundred of millions of dollars — and to do that requires blatant corporate whoring.

Please do not bow out. This is what the Rethuglicans want. As an example, I refer you to the old communism containment philosophy. In that philosophy, the communists would engage in 20 battles in 20 nations. If they lost 19 battles, they would still consider it a victory. The one victory is the one battle that they do not need to refight again. Over time, they will win.

I am also reminded of what the experts in excellence say. And that is that 10 years and 10,000 (ten thousand) hours of effort makes you an expert. The republicans have had 30 years and hundreds of thousands of hours to frame the message. We have about six years, so we are not there yet.

At this point, we are just holding our own. Later, when articulate leaders emerge (from cultivation), and messaging is developed, expect the progressives to start winning. My thoughts on messaging include:

1. Stop calling entitlements, entitlements. Call them the social contract. i.e. we are trading the social contract for give aways to the rich for our social contract.

2. Stop talking about planned parenthood. Call it uterus invasion. I do not want YOU or anyone in my wife’s uterus (unless you are her doctor).

BTW, thank you for your service to the progressive cause. Regardless of the outcome, YOU did a great thing.

No don’t think so Thrump the only person that has a vision of greatness for the USA first.The Republicans,Democrats and Chamber of Commerce have visons of self being among the Financial Elites while passing trade agrements like NAFTA.Trump wants to build the USA to greatness the Dems and Rep want to cut and destroy the USA.It would be hard for a Democratic House and Senate to block Trump when faced with Building The USA {Jobs}or cut Medi Care and Social Security.The majority of the USA citizens Retirement

I don’t beleive a vote for Obama in 2012 gives us anything. If he still had the House AND Senate, I doubt this thing would look much different. The only difference is that the conservative Dems would play the role of bad guy and Obama would say he HAD to negotiate(ha-ha)to make a deal.

He’s a fraud, plain and simple–as they all are.

Now—this doesn’t mean we shouldn’t vote–but give us something or someone to vote for–something real and not the same old thing that drags us further to the bottem.

I plan to vote if there are good alternatives–real progressives. but this “lesser of two evils” thing is a fool’s game.

As for Wisconsin—I would have voted for Kloppenberg if only to send a message to Walker–and it’s a shame that didn’t happen. But unfortunately, a lot of people just won’t show up for this type of election–much less the big elections.

I am hoping for the best in the recall elections and expect that turnout could be higher, and in the end–hopefully no extra votes are “found”.

But how are the Democrats doing themselves any favors and encouraging their base with the crap they’ve pulled? Frankly, I don’t think I am part of their base anymore. That belongs to conservative independents and blue dogs, I guess.

As distasteful as compromise is — and this deal is a giant giveaway to the GOP — the alternative demanded that the president act the part of responsible leader and get something done to avert a shutdown. He did that, and will probably reap significant benefits from it. As for middle-class and poor Americans dealing with billions in cuts, they’re up the proverbial creek.

“• From TPM: “Republicans have also been promised votes in the Senate on riders to defund Planned Parenthood and health care implementation.” Those votes will fail, and everyone – including Republicans – know it. So that’s not a big deal. In fact, Democrats will be happy to put some Republicans on the record on defunding the quite popular Planned Parenthood.”

———————

Planned Parenthood may be popular as an entity; however, as a sub-issue, tax funded abortions (or perceptions of such) are not popular. Right now the focus is toward the PP entity, per se, so the larger regime of women’s health is in play to protect PP. With the exception of the new stiuation in DC, the Dems did a good job with this.

Regarding the rider on health care and a vote in the Senate, this is aimed at blue dog Senate Dems who are up for re-election in 2012. A lot of them are at risk, and Repubs want them on record yet again as the 2012 campaign draws a bit closer. Of course the vote to defund will fail, but it’s not job one for Repubs at the moment — stirring the pot for Blue Dogs is where it’s at.

1) The Democrats currently in Congress have NO SPINE left in their bag of tricks.. it’s empty and no one seems to be trying to re-fill it. And,

2) The overall goal of the republican side of the barnyard is a TOTAL REPEAL of the 20th century.

Getting this cut along with NO TAX HIKES is only the next bite in the meal… IF you think that on Monday or Tuesday when they return from their usual 4-day weekend on their yachts, EVERY republican left that doesn’t have a tea-bag pinned on their lapels will have one waiting for them when they get to their office..This their strategy..pick away one or two bites at a time over the course of the next year or so and pretty soon, everything THEY want and nothing the PEOPLE OF THE US want will be achieved…

These a** wipes know they can’t win any big battle – not smart enough – but they have leaders effective enough, that one or two bites at a time will get them where they want to be…..1775….

Hold on to your clothes and water. You’ll need them in your new slave quarters the republicans are going to start building over the next few years… They can smell it coming and will stop at nothing to get there.

I do not consider picking “death by a thousand cuts” over the “electric chair ” to be a true choice. In the end I am still dead and having choosen the second option, I likely would have suffered more.

I will vote. I always do. But I will vote for whatever candidate stands for values that most closely reflect my own. I will NOT be an enabler for the lesser of two (or more) evils.

While I abhor what the republicans stand for, I at least know what that is and cling to their values in every fight to the bitter end. At this time, I have no idea what any Washington democrat stands for and I don’t think they do either. It is no longer enough to “less bad.”

We all know this budget fight is prologue to the next fight: raising the debt limit. The Tea Party crowd in Congress is flirting with danger by suggesting that they will refuse to vote for raising the debt ceiling. Should we fail to raise the debt ceiling next month the US goes into default on its debt, the dollar plunges, and conceivably we could plunge not only the US into a Great Depression ll but the entire world! I wonder how happy the rubes who voted for Rand Paul will be should that transpire.

The fight after the debt ceiling will be the massive battle over the FY2012 budget with Social Security and Medicare playing a significant role, DoD budget sacrosanct, and more than likely calls for more tax breaks for the filthy rich and corporations. Gird your loins this is going to be a difficult year.

This might mean a day of spin every year or it might be used as a weapon to undermine CFPB.

gee whiz, the Financial Reform bill gives us one shitty audit of the Fed, but we get an ideologically driven yearly audit of an agency that hasn’t even begun full operations, that doesn’t have a Director, and whose only purpose is to protect average Americans from the excesses of the Financial Services industry.

I’m really starting to want to believe in what the wingnuts refer to as imprecatory prayer… could the Flying Spaghetti Monster just make Wall street, K street, Capitol Hill and the White House vanish into a parallel universe?

What am I thinking? I am thinking there are plenty of Dems I’d vote for, well over half. But I think Obama and the Republicans are part of a well scripted tag team. I think social security is more vulnerable with Obama in the White House than with a Republican. I think Democratic majorities in congress could have put through a better health care bill working with McCain. (Remember that health insurers could no longer raise all their premiums in the market place. They HAD to get a government subsidy. That gave lots of leverage on regulation and negotiations with the pharmaceutical industry. They needed a deal.)

I also think 41 united Republicans were more effective than 59 so called Democrats in the senate. I don’t think the Tea Party lost much by tossing Mike Castle over the side to teach the senators from Maine a lesson. They may well have gained. Castle would not have been part of the pillar of unity.

The rest of what I think about Obama would, quite rightly, be excised by the moderator, so I won’t bother.

I think this every night when i watch Spitzer demolish stupidity on his show. He is smart AND has a soul. No wonder the money men had to take him down. He was dangerous to them unlike Obomba who just loves him some savvy businessmen.

timr you are a TROLL, a White House Troll, Wisconsin was not a DC DEM operation, and I think most would agree Kloppenburg was a sacrificial lamb a month a go, and she will probably win the seat held by Prosser a GOP super star.

timr = David Axelrod, U do know OBAMA attack Unions this week, with the Columbia NAFTA Deal , the GOP did not force OBAMA to do this.

timr this is what Obama done with a so call Dem House and so call Dem Senate

Yeah, that’s the answer to right wing policies, vote for the politicians supporting the right policies. Because that is what OBAMA, and the DEMOCRATS are supporting.

If you’re not able to figure out who it is fucking you, that’s fine, but don’t get up on your high horse and then tell us that because you can’t see it’s the Democrats fucking you that therefore we have to be blind too.

No.

Anyone want to finally PUT AN END to this shit needs to do one thing, and one thing only. DO NOT REWARD any party that is responsible for it. And right now, the Republican AND Democratic Parties are responsible. Do not reward their behavior with your vote, and ONLY reward those that DO deserve it, and eventually this shit will end.

But if you want this to conintue, on and on and on, then yeah, reward the Democrats with your vote. They’ll thank you very much for it. And then go right on screwing you.

What’s it like to be a liberal without any principles whatsoever? Who is so afraid of Rethugs that he’ll vote for sellout Democrats whose policies are only slightly less damaging to the country, but in the end cause heartbreak and misery to the same poor and middle class people? What’s it like to be so sanctimonious and loyal to a political party that you are completely blind to the impact their actions and policies have on real people in this country, and the motivation of their base to help reelect Democrats? In other words, how dare you blame critics of the Democrats for the failure of the party to represent them?!

I think you are absolutely right about Social Security being more vulnerable with Obama in the White House. I have been thinking about that alot lately. Although Obama does not care about what we want right now he will even ignore us even more next term and I believe he will be the guy to make the Social Security plung. He has nothing to lose. I don’t think there is much we can do right now but I know that holding our noses and rewarding these worthless Dems with another term is wrong. We will never get anywhere with these people. We have to get them out. Why isn’t Labor trying to recruit someone else run???

OldFatGuy you are so wise. Lawrence O’Donald had a guest on the other night that repeated the same message. He said that the Active Republicans go right after the politicians that do not vote their agenda and they do not care if the elections is overturned. Therefore the Republican Reps are afraid of the activists. However the Dem Activists take on the attitude that we have to keep supporting the Dems no matter what. That is why the Dem Representatives don’t care what we think because they know that we will be back to the polls sending them back to Washington to stick it to us again. Not this time for me and my family…….we have had it. I have never voted Republican and will not start now ….so I am going to sit it out next year….unless something dramatically changes.

BTW as I recall the Hyde amd’t was firstly aimed at Medicaid/Medicare as I recall, but also extends into some other gov’t health care funding such as TRICARE, USFHP, Fed Blue Cross for Fed employees. . .

Hyde isn’t on the books as permanently as regular legislation, but has to be renewed yearly, which it has been for a long time. One would reasonably think at some point Hyde would have been chucked out, no?

The ACLU and other rights groups have strenuously objected to Hyde in that the amd’t discriminates against low income women — besides, those groups want a standard of choice for ALL women, rather than simply a level economic playing field per se which could mean something else.